Excavating bucket



F. S. MCCUTCHEON EXCAVATING BUCKET Filed OO.. 26, 1935 KY DE ATTORNEY.

IN VENTOR. UTBUN Patented Aug. 9, 1938 UNITED s'rrss PATENT OFFIQE Claims.

The principal object of this invention is to provide an excavating bucket that may be used for circular shafts and wells, and that may be completely operated and controlled with` only one 5 cable.

A further object of my invention is to provide an excavating bucket to be used in confined quarters where the space of operation' is limited.

l Still further objects of this invention are to provide an excavating bucket that is positive in its action, that conforms to the shape of the excavation, that allows water to run from the excavated material in the bucket and that has few moving parts.

A still further object of my invention is to provide an excavating bucket that is economical in manufacture, durable and efficient in use.

'Ihese and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

" My invention consists in the construction, ar-

rangement and combination of the-various parts of `the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained as hereinafter more fully set forth,

l pointed out i-n my claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawing; in which:

Fig. 1 is a side plan view of my complete excavating bucket with portions cut away to more fully illustrate its construction.

Fig. 2 is a side plan view of my excavating `""bucket and more fully illustrates its construction.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of one of the jaw elements showing Vthe p xmethod by which it is hinged to the frame.

"; Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional View of the cutting edge of the jaw members of my device.

It has long been a problem, Vin the drilling of A wells or similar excavations, to progressively relmove the `excess dirt and extraneous material from the bottom of the shaft. Heretofore this has been accomplished through hand labor. Usually a man is placed in the bottom of the well Where he digs a considerable amount of dirt "loose and then a make-shift container is lowered and filled with the dirt, after which the container is brought to the surface and-emptied. Thus considerable time and effort are wasted in removing material from a deep shaft by this slow and primitive method. It is very difficult to work in a confined shaft for any length of time and to eiiiciently use tools available in this cramped position making the work slow and the 4dangers from cave-ins are ever-present. No succes`sful mechanical device has heretofore been available that will both loosen the dirt from the bottom of the shaft and bring it to the surface as devices heretofore attempted, required considerable mechanical manipulation for their operation. Also they could not be made so that 6 they would seal the dirt Within the container preventing the spilling of the dirt while it is being removed from the shaft. I have overcome these disadvantages as will `be appreciated and as more fully hereinafter set forth. l0

Referring to the drawing, I have used the numeral Ill to designate an inverted U-shaped frame member having its lower end open. The numeral II designates a second inverted U-shaped frame member spaced apart from and parallel to the 15 rst mentioned frame member Iii. p

The numeral I2 designates a spreader bar secured across each of the U-shap'ed members Il! and II at a distance above the open ends of the frame members as shown in Fig. 1 of the 2O drawing. The numeral I3 designates a brace element between the bars I2 and the two inverted U-shaped frame members having a bearing Ill near its central portion. The numeral I5 designates a similar brace element between the up- 25 per closed ends of each of the frame elements Ill and II and which has near its central portion a bearing element I6. These brace elements I3 and I5 `with their attendant bearings are illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawing. The numerals 30 Il and I8 indicate two pull bars rigidly secured by Welding or the like to the upper central portion of the frame members ||l and sloping upwardly and inwardly and having a transversal bar member I9 secured to its upper end portion. 35 I have used the numerals 2l) and 2| to designate the jaw members or elements of my device. These jaw members 20 and 2| have a circular bottom, a straight back and are sharpened along their forward edges so as to inter- 40 lock when closed. More specifically, the front sharpened portion of the jaw member 20 slopes upwardly and outwardly and the front portion of the jaw memberl 2| slopes downwardly and outwardly so that they overlap. Secured to the 45 lower rearward side of each of the bucket or jaw members 2|! and 2| are the sleeve elements 22. These sleeve elements are in turn rotatably mounted on an axle rod 23 which in turn has each of its ends secured to the lower open por- 50 tions of each of the frame members I El and II as shown in the drawing. It will here be noted that inasmuch as the forward edges of the jaw members 2i) and 2| are bevelled and overlapping, that the point of greatest overlap is reached as the jaws 20 and 2| pivot about the shaft 23. The bevelled faces will ride on each other, forcing the upper corners of the buckets 20 and 2| to overlap, thus allowing enough clearance for the pivoting of the buckets relative to each other.

The numerals 24 designate a plurality of tooth elements secured to and extending beyond the lower forward edge of the jaw member 2|). Similarly, the numerals 25 designate tooth elements secured to and extending beyond the lower forward edge of the jaw member 2| and so positioned that when the jaw members 2S and 2| are in a closed position adjacent each other the teeth 24 will be positioned respectively between the teeth 25.

The numerals 2G designate cut out portions on each of the upper rear corners of the jaw members 20 and 2| to allow a trough through which water may run from the material within the jaw members when they are filled with a material. I-Iingedly secured to the inside bottom portion of the bucket or jaw members 2i! and 2| are the spreader elements 2'! and 2B respectively which extend upwardly and inwardly, and

r have their upper ends commonly pivotally secured to a forked bearing 29. The numeral 30 designates an elongated shaft having its lower end secured to the forked bearing 29 and slidably mounted in the bearing members I4 and I6 as shown in the drawing. Rigidly secured to the upper end of this shaft 30 is a forked bearing 3| in which is rotatably mounted a pulley wheel 32. Rotatably secured to one end of the transversal bar member I9 is a small guide pulley 33. The numeral 34 indicates a common spring catch on the other end of the transverse bar member 9 and as is most generally known, these spring catches are capable of retaining the cable or like when a considerable force is exerted against them but as soon as the pressure is released, releases the cable or like.

I have used the numeral 35 to designate an operating cable which extends downwardly from a derrick or like, is guided by the inner edge of the small pulley wheel 33, extends down and around the lower edge of the pulley wheel 32, and thence upwardly Where it is secured to one end of the transverse bar member I9 as shown in Fig. 1.

The practical operation of my device is as follows: When it is desired to lower the bucket, considerable slack is allowed in the cable that lowers it so that the cable is in approximately the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1. The cable is then secured to the spring catch 34 and as the cable has the slack in it the shaft 3|) will drop downwardly due to its weight thus pushing on the spreader elements 2`| and 28 forcing the jaw members 26 and 2| downwardly and outwardly to a position as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawing. Thus the cutting edges of the jaw members 2|! and 2| will be pointed downwardly in substantially a circular arc in which position the entire excavating bucket may be dropped into the shaft and will bite deeply into the soil. As soon as these elements hit the bottom of the shaft and the weight or strain is taken from the cable, the spring catch 34 will release the cable and when the cable is wound on a drum or like to pull the mechanism back out of the cavity or well, the first operation of the cable will rotate the pulley wheel 32, thus pulling upwardly on'the shaft 30 which in turn will pull upwardly on the two spreader members 21 and 28, thereby pulling the jaws to a closed position, retaining the material therein trapped so that it may be lifted from the cavity. The excess water forced to the top of the material in the case of a well, will run off through the restricted U-shaped openings 26 in the upper ends of the jaw members 20 and 2|; thus it will be seen that I have provided an excavating bucket that may be used in restricted and conned places, and is completely operated by the cable used in raising and lowering the device, that will excavate in placesr where other methods can not be employed and that may be operated by anyone with no difficulty. Furthermore, the device is positive in its operation, does not allow the dirt that has been collected within the jaw members to escape while the device is being pulled to the surface and which allows excess accumulated water to run off of the upper surface of the material contained within the bucket.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of my improved excavating bucket without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims any modied forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim:

1. In a device of the class described, a frame member, jaw members hingedly secured to said frame member, a shaft slidably mounted in said frame member, actuating elements operatively secured to each of said jaw members and to said shaft, a pulley wheel on the upper end of said shaft, a spring release member on the upper end of said frame, a cable having one end secured to said frame operatively engaging said pulley wheel and retained by said spring catch at times; said jaw members being in an open position when said cable is engaged by said spring release, and cut out portions in each of said jaw members near their upper marginal edges.

2. In a device of the class described, a frame member, jaw members hingedly secured to the lower ends of said frame member, pull bars extending upwardly from s aid frame member, a tranverse bar member secured to the upper end of and at right angles to said pull bars, a shaft slidably mounted in said frame member, actuating elements operatively secured to each of said jaw members and to said shaft, a pulley wheel on the upper end of said shaft, a guide pulley rotatably mounted on one end of said transverse member, an operating cable extending adjacent said guide pulley around the lower travel of said pulley wheel and having its end secured to the other end of said transverse member, and a catch spring release element secured to one end of said transverse member capable of engaging said cable and holding said jaw members in an open position at times.

3. In a device of the class described, two inverted U-shaped frame members, two jaw members hingedly secured to the lower open ends of said frame members, pull bars secured to the central portion of said frame member extending upwardly, transverse members on the upper end of said pull bars, a guide pulley rotatably mounted on one end of said transverse members, a vertical shaft slidably mounted in said frame member, a means for linking the lower end of said shaft to each of said jawelements, a pulley wheel rotatably secured to the upper end of said shaft, a cable extending adjacent the inside of said guide pulley operatively embracing said pulley wheel and having its end permanently secured to 7 5,

the other end of said transverse member, overlapping bevelled forward. edges on said jaw members, and a spring catch release element secured to said transverse member capable of engaging and holding said cable so that said jaw members are in an open position when said cable is engaged by said spring release.

4. In a device of the class described, two inverted U-shaped frame members, two jaw members hingedly secured to the lower open` ends of said frame members, pull bars secured to the central portion of said frame member extending upwardly, transverse members on the upper end of said pull bars, a guide pulley rotatably mounted on one end of said transverse members, a Vertical shaft slidably mounted in said frame member, a means for linking the lower end of said shaft to each of said jaw elements, a pulley wheel rotatably secured to the upper end of said shaft, a cable extending adjacent the inside of said guide pulley operatively embracing said pulley wheel and having its end permanently secured to the other end of said transverse member, overlapping bevelled forward edges on said jaw member,

cut-out portions in the rearward corners of said jaw members, a plurality of tooth members secured to each of said jaw members extending beyond the forward edges of said jaw members, and a catch spring release on one end of said transverse member designed to engage and hold said cable for holding said jaws in an open position when said cable is engaged by said spring release.

5. In a device of the class described, a frame member, jaw members hingedly secured to said frame member, a shaft slidably mounted in said frame member, actuating elements operatively secured to each of said jaw members and to said shaft, a pulley wheel on the upper e-nd of said shaft, a spring release member on the upper end or" said frame member, and a cable having one end secured to said frame and operatively engaging said pulley wheel; said jaw membersbeing allowed to rest in an open position when said cable is engaged by said spring release and said spring release releasing said cable when tension i's relieved from said cable.

FRANK S. MCCUTCHEON. 

